Nino camp cries foul

Cortesía Boxeo de Gala

By Robert Coster

Hector Garcia, promoter of Mexican challenger Omar Nino was livid and expressed his frustration loudly, “Rodel Mayol is a comedian and just laid on the mat to keep his title without fighting like a champion should. It was all a comedy. Omar was robbed of a legitimate victory.” It was yet another night of controversy for boxing’s most controversial champion, WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol who kept his title in Guadalajara last night against Nino.

Midway into the third round, Mayol lowered his guard after a low blow by Nino and then was leveled to the mat by a left hook thrown by the Mexican challenger. Mayol laid motionless on the mat. Initially, it was thought that Nino had been declared the victor but then came the official ruling by the WBC Commission. It was the fourth straight bout for the Filipino champion ending in a polemical fashion: the two matches with Ivan Calderon (technical decisions because of cuts) and Rodel’s head butting kayo win over Edgar Sosa last November. According to WBC rules, there will be an automatic, mandatory rematch between Mayol and Nino as a result of the technical draw decision yesterday.